Patent GB-403088-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to means for automatically changing and/or reversing a gramophone record or records during a reproduction cycle
IPC: G11B17/02
Filed: 1932-06-13
Abstract: 403,088. Magazine gramophones. WILKINSON, H. O., 914A, Brighton Road, Purley, Surrey. June 13, 1932, No. 16661. [Class 40 (ii).] In a magazine gramophone, a pile of records and the turntable are arranged between a vertical track or plate at one side and travelling band or belt at the other side, the belt support and plate being adapted to be moved inwards by a linkage so that the record on the turntable and a record on the pile are gripped between the belt and plate to remove a played record or to return it to the pile, and to bring another record on to the turntable. The records may be automatically turned over by the belt and the apparatus may be used to play both sides of a single record in succession. In the arrangement shown, the plate 1 at one side of the turntable carries a platform 11 for the pile and has three horizontal grooves 2, 3, 4, Fig. 5a, of which 2 is somewhat above the turntable 10, 3 is on a level with the bottom of the pile, while 4 is just above the top of the pile. On the opposite side of the turntable an endless belt is carried over pulleys 8 in a casing 9 the cover 9a of which is slotted at levels corresponding with the grooves 2, 3, 4, and also carries a platform 11 for the pile. The belt case 9 and plate 1 are connected by a linkage 17-19 connected to a lever 22 bearing against a cam 23, Fig. 6, adapted to be clutched to driving gear 24 by any suitable means when the end of a record is reached. The tone arm may also be raised by the cam 23 to return by weight bias to its starting position, and for this purpose, the cam abuts against an arm 26a projecting downwardly from the ball joint 26 of the tone arm. The arm 26a moves in a slotted plate 38 which has a slight amount of lateral freedom. As shown the gear 24 is driven by a splined shaft 8a on one of the pulleys 8 engaging a worm wheel to allow for movement of the belt case. When lever 22 is operated, the linkage draws the belt case 9 and plate 1 towards the turntable, the edge of the record 12 on the table slides up an incline 14, Fig. 5, into the groove 2 to lift the record off the centre pin, and the opposite edge of the record engages the lower run 5 of the belt, whereupon the record is carried around the large pulley 8, reversed, and brought to the level of the belt run 7 and groove 4 whereupon it is dropped on the pile when the belt case 9 and plate 1 are moved apart again. The plate 1 is provided with a part-circular dished plate 28 to guide the record during reversal, and the large pulley 8 may be friction clutched, by the pressure of the record, to a disc 31 which rotates and carries a support 29 for assisting the reversal of the record. When the pressure of the record is removed, the support 29 and disc 31 are returned to normal by a counterweight 33. The support 29 may be held in the normal position by a light spring-ball catch 34. Simultaneously with the removal of the played record, the bottom record of the pile, relieved of the weight of the pile by inclines 16 on plate 1 and belt case 9, is gripped between groove 3 and belt run 6 and is carried over and dropped on the turntable. By providing an opening at the left-hand end of the groove 2 and a corresponding gap in the dished member 28 a record may be removed entirely after being played. This gap would normally be filled by a member removable at will, e.g. by operating an electromagnet. A simplified arrangement with a plain endless belt is described with the gap device for removal of played records. In order that the removal of the record from the turntable shall commence prior to the movement of a new record from the pile, a section spring 1a mounted on the plate 1 grips the played record before the new record is gripped by the main part of plate 1. The new record is apt to be released by the plate before it is freed from the belt case, and to prevent it touching the turntable prematurely, a rest 37 is provided, the rest being cleared as soon as the record lies flat.